


I Can't Seem to Forget You

by Black_Burrie



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:48:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25041139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Burrie/pseuds/Black_Burrie
Summary: For Ironstrange week 2020, prompt: forget.The battle is over. Stephen is having trouble with knowing which reality he's in.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Comments: 12
Kudos: 60





	I Can't Seem to Forget You

**Author's Note:**

> Poppy meaning: Remembrance.
> 
> Heavy Endgame angst!

It’s over. 

The war is over and they won. It’s time for everybody to heal and forget everything. 

Stephen opened up his portal to the New York sanctum after the battle and fell asleep for days. He spent weeks afterwards in a daze, constantly forgetting which timeline he was in. 

After a month of restless nights, demanding Wong to let him sleep in the avengers compound with his husband, he drifted off in his bed in the sanctum. 

He woke up and Tony was right next to him, his prosthetic arm wrapped around the sorcerer’s sternum. “Hey you. Slept well?” “Tony…?” Stephen mumbled and Tony’s hand touched his cheek. 

“In the flesh sweetheart.” He peppered kisses on Stephen’s face until he laughed and sat up on the bed. “I’m up, I’m up.” He grumbled playfully. “Great! Get ready in 10? Are you in the mood for waffles or breakfast sandwiches?” Stephen hummed, “Summer’s SoHo would be nice.” Tony responded with a grin and got up to the bathroom, leaving Stephen alone in his bedroom. 

The doctor yawned and stretched, opening his eyes to his own sanctum bedroom. Stephen panicked and rushed to the bathroom, finding Tony to be nowhere in sight.

What timeline is he in? Where’s Tony now? The cloak got up from their usual spot and embraced Stephen, preventing him from spiraling to a panic attack. They pointed to their master’s forearm, showing a sloppily scribbled down number written in sharpie. 

Right. Tony was never in love with him and he’s gone. 

Stephen sat back down on his bed and carded his shaky fingers in his hair. He felt sick and heartbroken. He coughed. Red petals came from his mouth. It looked like… poppy petals? He remembered reading this symptom before, causing some concern.

He stood back up and got dressed with a flick of his finger, before exiting his room and straight to the library. He skimmed through the medical section, before finding a book about flowers and herb related diseases. It didn’t take long before he found the disease for coughing up flowers.

Shit. Tony was dead and without him, there were very little treatment options for the Hanahaki disease. The only option was to have surgery done on him to get rid of the flowers growing in his lungs and consequently, his memories of Tony. 

Stephen closed the book and shelved it back in, starting his duties for the day. 

Weeks pass and Stephen’s memories of alternate realities start to blur with his own current reality as the poppy petals start to become more frequent. 

“Ah nope, stay in bed doc,” Tony pushed Stephen’s chest back onto the bed and rested his hand on his boyfriend’s forehead. “Yup. As I thought. No wizard duties for you today. Get some rest, I’ll get you some fluids.” 

Stephen wanted to protest, before Tony put his finger on his lips. “No buts baby. You took care of me when I was sick, now let me treat you.” Tony got up to leave, before Stephen grabbed his wrist.

“Stay.” He requested. Tony stood still for a moment, before looking at the cloak. “Alright Red, could you get your wizard water?” The cloak nodded and Tony sat down on the bed next to Stephen. “I won’t leave you Stephen. We can watch movies all day if you’d like.”

“I’d like that. But no Star Wars movies.” Tony laughed and kissed him on the cheek. “Deal. Now scoot.” 

They chose Back to the Future and the cloak returned with the water. The sorcerer choked on the water and started to cough violently. On the second cough, a red poppy flower and a couple of petals was on his hand. “Hey you ok doc?” 

“Is this… real?” Stephen’s voice was so quiet, it barely passed as a whisper. “What? Stephen, are you ok?” Tony repeated and grabbed his chin to make him look at the engineer. “Baby what’s wrong?” Tears welled up in his eyes and Stephen pressed his cheek onto Tony’s hand. 

“This is a memory from an alternate reality. This isn’t real,” Tears ran down his cheeks and Tony wiped them away. “I don't want to go through with the surgery. I don’t want to forget you.” Stephen looked down at his hands and stared at the flower. “I love you Tony.” 

Stephen blinked and Tony was gone. Only the poppy in his hands remained. 

The sorcerer finally told Wong about his condition, and after some scolding and consolidating, Stephen was in Kamar Taj and waiting in the operating room. Three sorcerers entered the room to perform the surgery on him, sedating him with a powerful sleep spell. 

Stephen opened his eyes and he was at his and Tony’s lake house. “Hey honey. Four days my ass.” Tony kissed him intensely. “Sorry Tony. I didn’t realize that dimension made time move faster.” The engineer kissed him again.

“I forgive you. Only because you came at the perfect time. Harley’s an OK baby helper and Peter’s has been extra fussy lately.” Tony led him inside into the nursery, where Harley was reading a book with Peter. “Papa!!” Harley lunged at the sorcerer and buried his face onto his robes. 

“Hey, easy on the hugging potato, your papa is probably tired.” Tony picked up a gleeful Peter. “Yes, but I have enough energy for this!” Stephen picked up his eight year old and gave him raspberries on the cheek, causing screams from the latter. 

After tucking their children to bed, Tony kissed his husband fervently. “I really missed you.” He muttered and Stephen pressed his forehead with Tony’s. “I missed you too.” “Maybe I should make an inter dimensional phone so there’s no excuse to be a couple of days late?” 

Stephen laughed. His shoulders immediately sagged and he hugged his husband hard. “Woah! What’s this about?” “I know this is just another memory.” He muttered. “Hey, hold on. What’s wrong?” Tony pulled away and stroked his cheeks. 

“This is goodbye my love.” Stephen gave him one last kiss, before waking up in the operating room.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out the artwork accompanied with the fic as well, please! 
> 
> Link: https://blackburrie.tumblr.com/post/622575885825048576/i-cant-seem-to-forget-you-blackburrie-marvel


End file.
